Drying rack



United States Patent 3,133,645 DRYING RACK Joseph G. Cecil, R0. Box 1427, High Point, N.C. Filed Sept. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 139,944 Claims. (Cl. 211179) The present invention relates to clothes drying racks of the foldable type employed for indoor drying of clothes and relates more particularly to indoor foldable lazy-tong clothes drying racks in which auxiliary clothw-drying capacity is provided.

Indoor foldable or collapsible-type clothes drying racks are universally employed particularly during inclement weather, including those having a lazy-tong construction that is usually made from wood slats or bars for the sides, and clothes supporting dowels or rounds which extend between the lazy-tong linkages for supporting the clothes to be dried thereon. Frequently, however, the clothes supporting and drying capacity of these racks is insufiicient to support a full wash load so that wet or damp clothes are frequently placed over other wet or damp clothes thereby prolonging the drying period. As the indoor floor space is usually very limited, as drying racks are frequently placed in bathrooms, kitchens or halls, additional racks that occupy additional floor area are infrequently employed.

Therefore, this invention contemplates that additional clothes-drying capacity may be provided in conventionaltype foldable clothes drying racks without appreciably incieasing the floor space requirement for placing the rac Another objective of this invention is the provision of a clothes-drying rack in which laterally projecting auxiliary racks are provided for supporting clothes for drying without impairing the drying of other clothes positioned on the rack.

Still another objective of this invention is to provide a clothes-drying rack with auxiliary drying capacity which auxiliary drying capacity need not be employed unless added capacity is required in which case the auxiliary capacity may be utilized in its entirety or only portions thereof.

Yet a further objective of this invention is to provide a foldable-type clothes drying rack with added clothes drying capacity in a foldable drying rack which will not consume excessive storage space in the folded condition.

Still another objective of this invention is to provide an inexpensive auxiliary clothes drying rack to a main foldable clothes drying rack that is sturdy and readily accessible to hang and remove clothes therefrom without impairing the clothes being dried on the main rack.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this novel clothes drying rack incorporating auxiliary drying capacity will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the clothes-drying rack of this invention in the open and extended position;

FIG. 2 is a reduced end view of the clothes-drying rack of FIG. 1 in the folded condition illustrating one auxiliary drying rack Wing or portion in full folded condition and the other end in a partially folded position; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial end view, with portions removed, of the connection between one terminal end of a lazy-tong linkage in the open or fully extended position, in full line, and in the folded position, in dotted l'me, with relation to the drying rack locking member and supporting link.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the foldable 3,133,645 Patented May 19, 1964 clothes drying rack 10 which embodies the features of this invention and in which a pair of laterally spaced-apart lazy-tong linkages 11 and 12 are supported for movement in a vertical direction, with the pair of lazy-tong linkages being supported for movement in planes parallel to each other, from the folded position, as shown in FIG. 2, to the open and extended position as shown in FIG. 1. Each lazy-tong linkage, forming the sides of the main rack, has pairs of pivotally-connected links that are interconnected. The base links 14 and 15 of each pair of lazy-tongs 11 and 12 are connected intermediate their ends and pivotally mounted on the clothes-supporting round or dowel rod 16 that extends or reaches between the laterally spaced-apart lazy-tong linkages. Intermediate links 17 and 18 of each pair of lazy-tong linkages is also pivotallyconnected intermediate their ends by and on the clothessupporting round or dowel rod 19 which has a length equal to that of round 16. The upper ends 20 and 21 of the base links 14 and 15, respectively, and the lower terminal ends 22 and 23 of the intermediate links 17 and 13, respectively, are pivotally-connected together by means of the clothes-supporting rounds 24 and 25, respectively.

The upper links 26 and 27 of the lazy tong linkages are pivotally-connected together intermediate their lengths on clothes-supporting round 28 with their lower extremities 29 and 39, respectively, pivotally-connected to the upper ends 31 and 32 of the intermediate links 17 and 18, respectively, on the rounds 33 and 34, respectively. All of the clothes-supporting rods or rounds are substantially the same length. i

The upper terminal ends 35 and 36 of links 26 and 27, respectively, each receive therein a clothes-supporting round 37 and 38, respectively. A transversely-extending clothes-supporting frame 40, including a pair of side rungs 41 and 42, is pivotally connected on the round 37 and reaches to releasably engage the round 38 through the open slot 43 on the free ends 45 of each of the rungs 41 and 42. The slots 43 will engage the rung 38 in the rack opened position to releasably lock the rack in this position during use.

Auxiliary clothes-supporting racks or wings 50 and 51 extend transversely of the main rack and are pivotallyconnected to the upper corresponding terminal ends 35 and 36 of the lazy-tong linkages for supporting additional clothes thereon. Each rectangularly-shaped auxiliary rack 56 and 51 is cantilever-supported with ends 52 being securely connected to the angle plates 53 along the long leg 54 with the other short leg 55 being pivotally connected to the outside face and adjacent to the terminal ends of the links 35 and 36 depending upon whether it is a right or left auxiliary rack or wing. In the extended position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the terminal section 56 of the ends 52 strike and abut against the underside of the links 35 or 36 thereby limiting the angle of travel of the auxiliarly rack to position each in an inclined position from the horizontal and extending over the lower portions of the main rack. Each auxiliary rack is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart clothes-supporting rounds or dowel rods 57 each of which reaches between the ends 52.

In order to fold or collapse the entire rack, the rectangular frame 40 is elevated slightly so as to disengage the slots 43 from engagement with the round 38 thereby permitting the lazy-tong linkages to collapse to the position shown in FIG. 2. The auxiliary clothes-supporting racks or wings 50 and 51 are then rotated inwardly as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 so as to overlap the top folded portion of the closed rack with the auxiliary racks coming within the same folded perimeter of the main rack.

It will be readily apparent that the clothes-drying rack of this invention may be made from Wood slats and rounds or other materials including aluminum or other metals and that the auxiliary clothes-supporting racks or wings may extend to an extent further than that which is illustrated. However, many modifications and variations may be made to the clothes-drying rack and the various components described and shown without departing from the purpose andspirit of this invention and such modifications and variations are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clothes-drying rack comprising a pair of extendable and foldable lazy-tong linkages having lower and upper terminal ends, a plurality of rounds reaching between and securing the said linkages for maintaining said linkages in spaced parallel relation during vertical displacement from folded to extended positions, means for releasably locking the linkages in extended position, a pair of auxiliary clothes-drying wings each having a plurality of spaced apart clothes-supporting rounds thereon extending parallel to said rounds reaching between the lazy-tong linkages, each wing reaching between corresponding upper terminal end links and pivotally supported thereto, and means to support said wings in an inclined extended position for receiving clothes thereon in the open position and, in a folded position, to overlap the folded lazy-tong linkages.

2. A foldable clothes-drying rack comprising a pair of collapsible lazy-tong linkages laterally spaced from each other, means reaching between said lazy-tong linkages for supporting the linkages in parallel relationship in folded and extended positions and for supporting clothes thereon, releasable locking means for retaining the lazy-tong linkages in an upright extended position, and auxiliary clothesdrying racks pivotally mounted and reaching between said linkages at the Upper ends thereof, each of said auxiliary racks having a plurality of spaced apart parallel rounds extending outwardly in the rack open position and overlapping the lazy-tong linkages in the folded position.

3. A foldable clothes drying rack comprising a pair of extendable and foldable lazy-tong linkages, said linkages being spaced-apart laterally from each other and having lower rack-supporting extremities and upper terminal ends, a plurality of clothes-supporting rounds reaching between and connected to said linkages for supporting said linkages for vertical movement in folded and extended positions, means for releasably locking said linkages in an extended position, an auxiliary clothes-drying rack frame having a plurality of clothes-supporting rounds pivotally supported on and reaching between a pair of corresponding terminal ends of said lazy-tong linkages, and at least an additional auxiliary rack frame including a plurality of parallel rounds supported in said frame, said frame being pivotally connected between the lazyton" linkages to extend in cantilever manner from the linkages in the extended condition and foldable over the said auxiliary clothes-drying rack reaching between a pair of corresponding terminal ends of said lazy-tong linkages.

4. A clothes-drying rack comprising a pair of extendable and foldable lazy-tong linkages having lower and upper terminal ends, clothes-supporting rounds reaching between and secured to said linkages for maintaining said linkages in spaced parallel relation for vertical displacement from folded to extended positions, means releasably locking the linkages in extended position, and a pair of auxiliary clothes-drying framed racks each framed rack having clothes-supporting rounds thereon, each of said auxiliary racks reaching between corresponding upper terminal ends of said lazy-tong linkages and being cantilever supported for pivotal movement to overhang the rack.

5. A foldable clothes-drying rack comprising a pair of extendable and foldable lazy-tong linkages, said linkages being spaced laterally from each other and having lower rack-supporting extremities and upper terminal ends, a plurality of clothes-supporting rounds reaching between and connected to said linkages for supporting said linkages for vertical movement in folded and extended positions, means for releasably locking said linkages in an extended position, auxiliary clothes drying racks each rack having a plurality of clothes-supporting rounds pivotally supported on and reaching between a pair of corresponding terminal ends of said lazy-tong linkages, and means for retaining the auxiliary racks in cantilever supporting and overhanging relation between said linkages and over the rounds between linkages.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,981,268 Heiser Nov. 20, 1934 2,565,436 Loar Aug. 21, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 799,469 France Apr. 4, 1936 

1. A CLOTHES-DRYING RACK COMPRISING A PAIR OF EXTENDABLE AND FOLDABLE LAZY-TONG LINKAGES HAVING LOWER AND UPPER TERMINAL ENDS, A PLURALITY OF ROUNDS REACHING BETWEEN AND SECURING THE SAID LINKAGES FOR MAINTAINING SAID LINKAGES IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION DURING VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT FROM FOLDED TO EXTENDED POSITIONS, MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING THE LINKAGES IN EXTENDED POSITION, A PAIR OF AUXILIARY CLOTHES-DRYING WINGS EACH HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART CLOTHES-SUPPORTING ROUNDS THEREON EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID ROUNDS REACHING BETWEEN THE LAZY-TONG LINKAGES, EACH WING REACHING BETWEEN CORRE- 